Odds and Ends
by Amethyst Jackson
Summary: Bits and pieces of Twific that don't belong anywhere else.
1. Chapter 1

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

**Chapters will vary in rating. Overall rating of M to cover everything. All pieces are Edward/Bella unless otherwise indicated_._**

* * *

_Shadows_

I was flying down the road at 55 miles per hour when I realized I was certifiably insane.

What was I doing? This wasn't _me_. I didn't risk my life seeking thrills. What _was_ my life now? Chasing memories and shadows? Seeking danger just to hear a voice that somehow meant more to me than any possible risk?

He was gone…but he was still my life. And what was I doing about it? Searching for hallucinations? No. No more. I had to find him, whatever it took. If he had loved me once, it was possible he could love me again…maybe if I was strong and beautiful like he was. Maybe if I could find someone to change me –

"_Bella!"_ his beautiful voice called out in warning. I saw the pothole in the road an instant before my tire hit it, and suddenly I was airborne, flying, floating…crashing.

There was pain in my head and my right knee, but I ignored it. I ignored the stench of blood that made my head swim. I ignored Jacob's shouting and his pounding footsteps. I had to go.

I struggled to my feet just as Jake reached me. He was fussing, trying to make me sit back down, but I shoved his hands away. "I need you to take me home, Jake."

"You need to go to a _hospital_, Bella. You'll need stitches –"

"Home!" I insisted, charging toward my truck. I vaguely heard Jacob picking up my motorcycle. He could have left it; I wouldn't be needing it anymore. I dragged myself into the cab and took off my blood-splattered jacket to press against my head.

Jacob was shaking his head when he slid into the driver's seat. "You _have_ to go to the hospital, Bella. I don't think that's going to stop bleeding on its own…"

"No, Jacob," I snapped. "What I _have_ to do is get home so I can put a stop to this. Do you have any idea what's going on here? The only reason I was on that motorcycle today, the only reason for any of this is that when I do something dangerous, I hear _his_ voice…it's the only thing I live for now. And…I have to change that."

Jacob's scowling face turned on me. "Damned right, you have to change that! Why on earth would you let that scum still have any hold over you?"

I just shook my head. "You'd have to love somebody the way I have to understand."

His face twisted furiously, but he drove in silence. I felt that this chapter of my life was closing, and I couldn't bring myself to feel sad about it. I didn't like to hurt Jacob, but I would love to forget the months without Edward completely.

Jacob tossed the keys to me after he pulled to a stop in front of my house. "I'll ride my bike back to the Rez," he said shortly. "You can explain the other one to Charlie."

Charlie was the least of my concerns right now. I locked my truck up and watched Jacob ride away, never looking back. Just as well. I went into the house to find something to bandage my head with before I started on my mission.

I went to my room first to stash my bloody jacket and take off my dirty clothes. I was rifling through my dresser drawer when I heard the voice again.

"_Bella."_

I closed my eyes and savored the sound. "But I'm not doing anything dangerous right now."

The voice snorted. "Bleeding while a vampire is in the room doesn't qualify as dangerous?"

I was still trying to process that statement when I felt it. A cold hand on my shoulder, turning me around.

I found myself gazing into the face that was permanently etched into my memory…but my memory had never been this good at conjuring it up before. No matter why this was happening, I didn't want it to end.

"Edward?"

The apparition sighed and shook his head. "Riding motorcycles, Bella? What were you thinking? Didn't you promise me you'd take care of yourself?"

"It was because of you that I did it," I muttered.

He sighed again and reached up to gingerly inspect the gash on my forehead. As his fingers brushed my skin, I was struck with the knowledge that this was _real_. No hallucination could ever emulate the sparks flying, the cold warmth, the slow burn that was Edward's touch. I sucked in a gasp, and his fingers hesitated.

"You need stitches, Bella. That won't close on its own."

I panicked. Were we going to be parted, already? "I don't want to go to the hospital."

His lips pursed. "I can do it. Carlisle should have an emergency kit at the house. I'll go get it."

"No!" I cried as he turned to leave, filled with a foreboding sense that he would not return.

"It'll be all right," he said gently. "Your blood isn't a problem for me anymore."

I swallowed. "No, that's not – I just don't want you to go."

Something odd passed over his eyes, something pained. "Would you like to come with me? Would that help?"

I nodded. "Okay."

Slowly, as if approaching a wounded animal, Edward reached out to me and lifted me in his arms. A strange calm settled over me, tucked against his body. I barely noticed him jumping out my bedroom window, flying through the wilderness. He was here, holding me. Did anything else matter?

Soon we were in Carlisle's study. I recognized the room only by the chair, desk, and shelves that were still there, all covered in plastic to keep the dust off. The paintings, the books, the odds and ends were all gone. It wasn't right.

Edward tugged the plastic off the chair and sat me gingerly in it. I watched him lift the plastic off the desk to dig in the bottom left drawer. He pulled out a large first aid kit, which I gathered was more thoroughly stocked than those in average households.

"There should be sutures in here," he murmured, shuffling through the contents.

"Do you know how to do this?" I asked as an afterthought.

He laughed to himself. "Yes. I've been to medical school twice."

"Oh." There was so much I didn't know about him still. Would he give me another chance to learn?

"Why did you come back?" I asked as he prepared his supplies.

"Alice saw you getting into all kinds of trouble looking for us," he told me, not looking away from his work.

Oh, of course. Alice had seen me decide to seek him out, and he had come to stop me. But at least he was here. I had found him, or he had found me, and this was my chance.

"You must have been fairly close, if you got here so fast," I said.

He turned to me with an alcohol wipe and let out a sigh. "I was in eastern Washington. This will sting a bit," he warned before he began to clean the cut. I winced, but it wasn't anything I hadn't felt before.

"Is that where you're living now?" I asked. Had they really been so close all along? I had pictured them in some far-off destination. Somewhere exotic, somewhere more fitting for them.

"No, the family is living in Ithaca, New York right now. Carlisle is teaching at Cornell."

He finished cleaning the cut and lifted a scary-looking needle that I was all too familiar with. "Then why were you here?"

"I was…looking for something." He obviously didn't want to tell me about it. I decided to stop questioning him; I didn't want him irritated with me when I was trying to win his heart back. "I'm sorry, Bella, there's no anesthetic here. This is going to hurt."

"I've had worse."

Edward frowned thoughtfully, then placed my right hand on his shoulder. "Hold on to me, as tightly as you need. You won't hurt me."

"Okay," I agreed, clutching him tightly. I dug my fingernails into his shirt as I felt the needle pierce my skin. It _did_ hurt; I'd had stitches before, but I'd always been numbed. I distracted myself from the pain by watching Edward's face. His jaw was clenched tightly, and I recognized the pained look in his eyes that had to be caused by resisting my blood. I should have just gone to the hospital; I shouldn't have made him do this.

He made four stitches. I sagged with relief when he told me he was done.

"That should be enough," he sighed, wrapping a gauze bandages over the site and around my head. "I didn't want to do any more than was absolutely necessary. You might have those looked at…just in case."

"I trust you," I said, looking down at my hands.

"I'll be right back," he said, getting to his feet. "I need to wash my hands."

My heart pounded when he disappeared from my vision, but he was back in seconds, standing before me again. He sat on the edge of the desk and gave me a penetrating stare.

"Bella…what's going on here? Why are you riding motorcycles? Why were you going to look for us?"

This was my moment to tell him everything. My throat was dry. I searched for the words, ignoring his impatient eyes.

"I…I need you," I admitted, closing my eyes. I couldn't bear to see the repulsion in his eyes. "I'm sorry; I tried to move on, to be normal, but it just doesn't work. I can't _feel_ anything except – except when I hear your voice. I can hear you talking to me whenever I do something dangerous. That's why I bought the motorcycles. But today, when I was riding, I realized I couldn't spend the rest of my life chasing hallucinations…and that's all there is for me if you can't love me again."

His voice was soft. "What will you do if I leave again?"

It felt like my chest was caving in. "I – I don't – I don't know…" I wouldn't cry. I couldn't cry, or I might never stop.

"Oh, Bella…Bella, look at me," he said, lifting my chin with his cool fingers. I opened my eyes and found him kneeling before me, eyes soft and buttery warm like they had been before my disastrous eighteenth birthday party.

"Why did you have to go?" I asked desperately. "Just days before you left, you still loved me. I _know_ you did. What changed? Why did you stop loving me?"

"Bella…Bella, I _never_ stopped loving you," he said fiercely, taking my face between his broad hands. "Nothing changed; that was the problem. When you were nearly killed by a member of my own family, I realized you could never be safe with us. How could I go on risking your life when your life means everything to me? I had to leave, we all had to leave, so that you would be safe."

"But I'm never safe," I blurted out, unable to process what he was saying. "I almost got crushed by a van a week after I moved here. I was nearly raped in Port Angeles. I needed _you_ to save me…I always needed you…"

"Bella, love, calm down," he murmured, smoothing down my hair with one hand while the other still cupped my cheek. "Do you hear what I'm telling you? I _love_ you. I want you. I _need_ you. Forever, always. I see now that I was wrong to leave. I only did it for you, and I'll stay for you, if you want me, I swear. I'll stay for every last minute of your life, as long as you'll have me."

He gazed at me with his pleading eyes, and I fell forward into the comfort of his embrace, seeking refuge from the reality that had been slowly killing me.

"Show me it's real," I begged him, holding on as tightly as I could. "Please, I need to know it's real."

"It's real," he breathed, ghosting his lips over mine. "It's real," he repeated, this time pressing a fierce kiss to my mouth. My blood sang, danced, called for him. "Nothing is more real than this," he swore.

I clung to him and his soft voice and his drugging kisses. The pain numbed and faded. I felt alive again. I took shelter in his body, knowing I had a chance now. The world was still full of shadows, but I had found my way back to the light.


	2. Chapter 2

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Prompt: Charlie gets Bella a cat._

"Bella!"

Charlie's bellow sent me flying down the stairs. He didn't _sound_ angry, but I was still wary. He had been…controlling, to say the least, since I returned from my spur-of-the-moment trip to Italy with Edward in tow.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"I've been thinking," he said slowly, deliberately blocking my passage any further, effectively keeping me from seeing into the kitchen or the living room. I narrowed my eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Well, you've been keeping to the rules pretty well since you've been back, and I thought maybe a reward was in order."

"A reward?" I perked up immediately. Maybe he would extend my visiting hours, or –

"Close your eyes!" he said with great enthusiasm. I obeyed, but I was already disappointed. Unless Edward was there when I opened his eyes, this wasn't going to turn out the way I wanted.

"Alright," his voice sounded strained. "Open them."

Well, this was the last thing I expected. In Charlie's arms was a squirming grey furball that was chomping furiously on his hand. Charlie's mouth was shut tight, but his eyes were watering with pain.

"So what do you think, Bells?"

"Well, I – uh – that is – you got me a cat?"

"Sure did," he said, shifting the animal. "He's a little feisty, but…well, he's cute, isn't he?"

"Um…" I hesitated. "Charlie, not that I don't appreciate this and all, but you do realize that no animal has ever survived having me as an owner, right?"

Charlie made a noise of dismissal. "A few fish. Cats pretty much take care of themselves, Bella, no worries. If you just put food out for him everyday, and keep the litter box clean, he'll do just fine."

"If you say so," I said, finally letting Charlie deposit the animal in my arms. It promptly started chewing on _my_ hand.

"Ouch!" I yelped.

Charlie scratched the back of his head. "The guy at the pet store says he'll grow out of that."

"Hmmph," I snorted skeptically.

"So…uh…he'll be needing a name."

"Oh." I thought about it. His biting tendency made me think of vampires, but I didn't think Charlie would quite appreciate me naming my cat after my boyfriend or any member of his immediate family. "I think I'll call him Dracula."

As if he understood, little Dracula looked up at me with innocent eyes.

"Yeah, you little bloodsucker," I muttered, shifting him in my arms so that he didn't have access to my hands anymore. He started batting at my hair. "You're kind of mean, aren't you?"

Charlie cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So, yeah, I got a few things for him – he's got his carrier, and the litter box, and his food dish, and he came with a free toy…"

The toy was essentially a stick from which hung a string with feathers on the end. Was the cat supposed to think it was a bird or something? He didn't look _that_ stupid.

I ended up staying in the rest of the day, getting acquainted with the cat per Charlie's "suggestion." He was nearly giddy with self-satisfaction at having kept me away from Edward for one day. It was nearly painful to be away from Edward when he had just returned to my life, but I consoled myself with the knowledge that he would be crawling through my window as soon as the cover of night allowed him to arrive unseen.

Having little Dracula around certainly helped to pass the time, too. He was a limitless source of energy. I wondered if anyone had ever considered using cats for power. Probably not reliable enough, considering how fickle the little creatures were. One minute Dracula would be running circles around the room, and the next he would be out like a light.

He _did_ chase the string on the stick, his little paws making an amazing amount of noise on the carpet as he followed it around and around in circles, until finally my arm got too tired to continue and he continued his play elsewhere – mainly with my toes.

After dinner, when the sun finally set, I was sitting in my rocking chair watching my vampire cat pounce on my bed covers, his wild green eyes flashing as his paws dug into the plush bedding, attacking invisible enemies. The soft scrape of the window alerted me to Edward's arrival, although the noise was entirely for my benefit. He could come and go as silently as a ghost in the night.

He smiled broadly at me as I stood to throw myself into his arms. I pressed my face into his neck and breathed deeply. It was a struggle not to spend every moment touching him, smelling him, reassuring myself that he was not a dream or an illusion. I didn't mind so much; he seemed to feel the same need.

He hummed contentedly and pressed his lips to my forehead. "You know," he murmured, "I didn't believe Alice when she told me. So Charlie really did get you a cat, huh?"

I turned and followed his gaze over my shoulder to the cat that was now on his back, pawing at thin air. "Weirdly enough, yes."

Edward took a tentative step closer to the animal. "I wonder if he'll be afraid of me. Most animals are."

I shrugged, watching with interest. "This cat is pretty psycho."

Edward reached out a careful hand to the animal, so slow and careful that it looked like _he_ was the one afraid of injury. Dracula studied the outstretched hand and then, amazing, promptly bit down on it.

Edward glanced back at me with a raised eyebrow, unperturbed. Of course, the little cat's teeth wouldn't bother him. On the other hand, the cat didn't seem at all fazed by Edward's hard skin while he gnawed with vigor.

"Yeah, he does that," I shrugged. "I named him Dracula."

Edward laughed even as he gave a disapproving shake of the head. "Well, at least you didn't name him after me."

I grinned and perched on the side of the bed, watching the cat's battle up close. "I'd thought about it, but I didn't think Charlie would react very well."

Edward sighed and sat across from me, now playing with the cat in earnest. His fingers danced over the creature's exposed, fuzzy belly. It was the most adorable thing in the world.

"It's good that I don't seem to bother him," Edward commented. The cat was clawing at his arms and it wasn't leaving a mark. "Otherwise, Charlie would have succeeded better than he could have imagined."

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Edward offered a rueful smile. "This wasn't really a reward. Charlie was hoping a pet would keep you here longer. And he was hoping you'd pay more attention to the cat and less to me."

I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed. "I hate being manipulated. The joke's on him, though. The cat loves you."

"So it seems," Edward said with a soft smile. "You shouldn't resent him, though. He's absolutely right about me. I haven't been nearly worthy of you."

"Cut that out," I scowled.

"It's true," Edward insisted. "I hurt you –"

"At worst, you were stupid," I capitulated, meeting his eyes. "But you were doing what you thought was best for me, and that's all I could ever ask of you. And I was pretty stupid, too, to fall for it. I should have known your martyr complex was going to act up again."

"Martyr complex?" Edward snorted.

"Don't deny it." The cat was now stretched out and purring, enjoying Edward's petting. Truthfully, I was getting a little jealous of the cat.

Edward sighed. "Okay, you're right. Still doesn't change the fact that I'm not good for you."

"No," I said, "You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

Edward's eyes grew soft, and though I knew he didn't believe me yet, I thought maybe, someday, he would.

"I had a cat when I was a boy," he said, changing the subject. "I can't remember his name anymore, but he was black with little white paws, like he was wearing socks."

I smiled, watching the nostalgic expression on his face while he recalled his human days. "Were you fond of him?"

"Yes…I rescued him from the tree in our front yard when he was a kitten. My mother wouldn't let him inside the house because she didn't want fur on the carpets. I fed him for years, though, and whenever I went outside, he was there…until one day he wasn't. We never knew what happened, but it was probably a car…"

"Well…maybe Dracula can come with us when we're married," I suggested, refusing to meet his eye.

Edward grinned. "Does that mean you're accepting my proposal?"

I shrugged, but I couldn't resist smiling for him. "I'm seriously considering."

Edward chuckled. "Remind me to thank Charlie. His 'reward' worked very well."


	3. Chapter 3

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Prompt: Temptation_

"Come with me," he urged softly, compellingly. His voice was so alluring, so beautiful, that I had to follow, even if it was wrong.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"My car," he murmured, shooting me a look with his too-dark eyes. "I forgot something."

"Okay." I watched him as we walked. He was…unbearably perfect…strong jaw…long, straight nose…full lips…gorgeous body. Of course I had gone with him. Everything about him drew me in.

"Here we are," he gestured to his silver Volvo.

"So…what did you forget?"

"A notebook." I knew he was lying. "Do you want to go for a drive?"

"You want to ditch?" I wasn't accustomed to skipping, but my next course was gym, and his offer was so much more appealing.

"Try it just this once. I'll make it worth your while."

"Okay," I agreed again, taking the forbidden fruit from his hands. I couldn't go back now.

Inside his car, it was like the air tightened around us. All my awareness was taken up by him. He began to drive. He kept glancing at me, as if to make sure I was still there.

I wasn't sure where he took us. Some isolated, woodsy spot. He turned to me.

"Isabella."

"Bella," I corrected without thinking. He smiled at me.

"Well, Bella, how do you like Forks so far?"

"It's…uh…wet."

He laughed. "Yes, yes it is."

"You've lived here two years?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "I don't mind the rain so much anymore."

I couldn't figure out what else to say. He stared at me so intently…no one had ever looked at me that way before. Ever.

"Bella…" He suddenly leaned closer, too fast. His beautiful face was so close. I couldn't help leaning in, too, every cell urging me to close the gap. My body begged to seep into his, to be with him always.

He breathed in deeply and then let out a sound that could only be described as a growl. I gasped.

"You shouldn't have come with me, Bella Swan," he said through gritted teeth before his lips crashed into mine.

He didn't seem to realize that I had no choice. He was temptation incarnate.


	4. Chapter 4

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

"Edward, what are you doing?" she whines from the bed, turning to face him. The sheet drops and the flash of breast almost makes him turn around.

"Looking for pants," he manages roughly, checking under the bed. Where _had_ she tossed them?

"What on earth would you want _pants_ for?" she asks, gaping like he's suggested a great act of heresy.

"To answer the door when the room service arrives."

She sits up, pouting, hair mussed, and her lips beg to be kissed again and again and again. "What room service?"

"Aha!" The pants are under the sofa against the wall. "The room service I'm going to order for you, because you're hungry."

"I am not," she protests.

"Your stomach has growled three times in the past hour."

"I don't care. I don't want food; I want you to come back to bed."

He tries not to show how tempting that offer is. "You need nourishment before we do _that_ again."

"Will you at least come back to bed while we wait for it to get here?"

"Yes," he agrees reluctantly. "But the pants stay on."

She sighs. "Fine."

By the time the food arrives, she is fast asleep in his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

"Bella," he growls, sending a burst of heat through her, "If you don't behave yourself, I'm going to have to tie you up."

She considers the idea with her arms pinned down above her head by his strong, cold hands, and she shivers from something very far from fear.

"I'm not sure that's incentive for me to behave," she says, squirming to bring her barely-clothed body back into contact with his – his completely bare body.

He grins wickedly. "You asked for it."

He is gone for a split-second, too short for her to move, and then his weight is upon her again, and his belt is in his hand. He quirks his eyebrows in a silent question, and she knows the slightest word of protest would stop him. So she licks her lips and quirks her eyebrows right back. _Do it. I dare you._

He cinches the belt around her wrists, not too tight – his strength makes him gentler than a human could ever manage – and then his mouth his upon her again, trailing lines of ice and fire across her skin.

The bra gets ripped. The panties do, too. It's a pity – she liked his reaction to them. His fingers go to play between her legs and she moans and writhes, and he likes it, she can tell. When it's obvious how much she wants him, he likes to be cocky and smirk at her, but she knows there's a part of him that needs to see it, that needs to know her pounding heart is from desire rather than fear.

"Oh – oh! Oh, Edward, I'm close, so close –"

He smothers her words with his hard lips and sweet tongue and slides inside her like he was molded perfectly to fit her. He's cold and solid and touches the deepest parts of her and her orgasm strikes her with such speed and abruptness that it takes her breath away.

The suddenness shocks him into his own climax – this is the one way she can take him by surprise, and she likes it – and he groans into her ear, his fingers encircling her captive arms.

"Next time it's your turn," she whispers.


	6. Chapter 6

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Jacob/Angela_

"Are you with the bride or the groom?"

The voice sounds nice, but he doesn't look up to see the face. There's only one face he wants to see, only one voice he wants to hear saying I'm sorry, I've made a terrible mistake.

"The bride."

"Me too," she says, and the sweet scent of pomegranate washes over him as she takes the chair beside him. "They seem really happy, don't they?"

"Yeah," he admits gruffly. He doesn't understand and he never will.

"I didn't think she would ever be happy again after he left. It's good that they worked things out."

She could have been happy without him; he knows it.

"I suppose."

He hears the rustle of her skirt as she shifts. "You have feelings for her, don't you?"

This prompts him to look up, and suddenly the breath has disappeared from his lungs and everything stops, narrowed down to that single moment, that single face. Golden brown hair and soft eyes and the gentlest face he's ever seen. He's never seen anything like her before, and all he can think is, _I want to keep her._

"I did," he chokes out, almost having forgotten the question. He's sure his eyes are wide with shock and she must be wondering what on earth is wrong with him, but he knows exactly what's wrong – something he thought could never happen for him, not as long as _she_ existed. But in that moment, _she_ changed – no longer his tormenter, but this sweet-faced angel.

"I'm Jacob," he finds himself saying. He needs a name, any name, something to ease the swelling of his heart.

"I'm Angela." _How fitting._

"Do you want to dance?" He hates dancing, has always had two left feet…but this doesn't cross his mind. The important thing is holding her close and winning a few more moments with her.

"Sure," she smiles, and suddenly his world is bright again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

"Will these even hold you?" she asks skeptically, eyeing the steel chains around his wrists. He laughs.

"If they don't, I'll pretend for you."

She chuckles and happily straddles his naked hips, rubbing teasingly against his hard cock through the thin barrier of her panties. "You'd better, or I will find a way to spank you."

His second laugh is cut short as her hand wraps around him, warm and soft and _wicked_. He groans and fights the urge to strain against the chains, _knowing_ he can break them. It's an exercise in self-discipline, but he enjoys pretending she's disciplining him for once.

She smiles deviously and reaches behind her with her free hand to unclasp her bra. She takes her hand away to pull it off, and he doesn't know whether to groan at the loss or thank her for the lovely view.

In the end, he does neither, and she begins to torment him with her tongue. It flicks against his chest, against his navel, and then slides along the underside of his cock. He doesn't think he could have survived such beautiful agony as a human.

And then her mouth is all around him, and he has to close his eyes against the sight of himself between her lips, lest he lose all control.

"Bella…_please_…" He's begging. _Begging_. And he doesn't even know what he wants.

She does seem to know, or at least she knows what she wants, because she takes her lovely mouth away (a sin, that) and shimmies out of her panties (definitely forgiven).

And as she lowers herself onto him, her head flies back and she moans long and sweet, and her heat is almost unbearable. She moves above him, and the torture is certainly worth it.

When she comes, she comes hard, shaking and crying out, the picture of ecstasy. Her name flies from his lips at his own release.

Oh, the things he's going to do to her when she's unbreakable…


	8. Chapter 8

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Jasper/Angela_

She smells like sweetness, purity, innocence. _Angela_. She is an angel, and he knows she'll taste like heaven.

She's angelic through and through – he can't feel a single hateful emotion off her, not even when the other girls snub her; there's no hint of jealousy when Edward kisses the bride and walks her back down the aisle. She is all kindness and affection and compassion. The human within him wants to love her, and the monster inside him wants to taint her.

As she passes by him, she notices his stare and smiles shyly with a quick blush, so much like Bella used to do, but Bella's blood never called to him like this…and he realized that, yes, the tugging in his chest was the same longing Edward always projected in waves when Bella was near – maybe not as warm, maybe not as loving, but every bit as painful.

He follows her without ever making the decision to do so – and he's relieved that he doesn't know what he's going to do, because then Alice won't see…

Alice…he should stop for Alice. But the scent and the tingle of arousal he feels floating off of her tugs him along, and he follows her around the corner of the house, into the trees. She has no sense of self-preservation.

She hears the crunch of his feet on the leaves and turns to face him. Her reaction is not fear – she is trusting, too trusting – but pleasure, excitement, hope.

Consequences be damned, he decides as he presses her back into the nearest tree. He has to have her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Emmett_

Emmett really loves bears.

Of course, he likes the taste. The stronger the predator, the tastier the blood, and bears are pretty damned strong.

Plus it's a rush, taking down something so fierce with your bare hands. Pure strength. The hunt is so much more satisfying when it's a challenge.

And he can relate to bears. They're like him, not just physically, but mentally, as well. They're protective, possessive, and when well fed, a bit on the cuddly side. Bella says he's a big teddy bear, anyway. Rosalie doesn't agree – teddy bears are the last thing on his mind, and he's glad for _that_.

And then there's that one bear he feels a special affection for – the one that nearly finished him off. Strange-sounding, perhaps, but had it not been for that bear, he never would have been given the life he has now, the life he loves. He wouldn't have his temperamental angel, or the family he loves, or the chance to see eternity.

The others call it a curse, but he knows he's been blessed. And all thanks to that one pissed off bear.


	10. Chapter 10

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Carlisle/Esme_

Her eyes fluttered open. Before, they'd been a warm, gentle brown. Now they were blood-red as her body continued to feed of the human blood that remained in her system.

"Dr. Cullen," she murmured with a smile, something like fond recognition. Her smile had charmed him from the first…and she remembered him, after all these years. "Where are we?"

And that was his cue to explain. He told her how she'd been brought to the hospital on the verge of death, and how he'd saved her, and what he was – what he'd made her into.

"I always thought you seemed awfully young to be a doctor," was her response. She shifted into a sitting position, staring down at her healed body in awe. "Why did you save me?" she asked.

He'd spent three days searching for that answer.

"Because I wanted to keep you," he admitted, meeting her eyes which were still somehow tender rather than sinister. "Is that selfish?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I would have done the same."


	11. Chapter 11

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Surprise_

"How long has he been sitting there like that?" Edward whispered, crouching down beside me where I sat on the front porch.

Across the yard, Eddy sat staring intently up at a tree branch, upon which perched a robin, whose facial expression seemed to say, "Why haven't I been eaten yet?"

I turned to Edward and shrugged. "At least half an hour. I suppose he's waiting for the right moment to strike."

Edward surprised me by laughing quietly, so as not to startle the animals. "No – it seems Eddy thinks the bird is pretty. I think he's in love."

I blinked. "A cat in love with a bird?"

Edward shrugged and offered me an affectionate smile. "If lions and lambs can make it work, why not cats and birds?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Alice and Bella_

"What did you first see," Bella asked, "When I came to Forks?"

They were spending the day together at Bella's house, just talking and watching movies like any two normal girls, and Bella was taking the opportunity to ask something she'd always wondered about. What future had been in store for her, and how had her future changed?

Alice grinned. "I saw a lot of things, Bella. The first was just a simple moment – you kissed Edward, and when you pulled away, I saw that you were a vampire. That's how I knew what you were meant for. But I saw other things. I saw this moment. I saw far into the future, saw us going to different places and schools…Edward's going to drag you to Harvard one day, you know."

Bella groaned. "_Harvard_? I can't handle Harvard."

Alice laughed. "You can when you don't need sleep and you've taken high school five times. Besides, I see you having the time of your life. You're majoring in literature."

"That does sound fun," she admitted.

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed. "We should watch Legally Blonde next!"

Bella rolled her eyes and groaned. "Alice, really, I thought you vampires had better taste."

"Legally Blonde is a cult classic!" Alice argued. "And it is a wonderful parody of American society."

Bella laughed. "Okay, whatever you say."


	13. Chapter 13

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Fall_

The air was fresh and crisp with the onset of fall. I was glad to run with him, to feel the cold air burn my lungs as we sped toward our meadow for what could be my last time as a human.

I couldn't read Edward's mood today as he let me down, but I was jubilant. The meadow was a riot of warm color, surrounded by trees shedding their leaves. The ground was a carpet of red, gold, and orange. I gladly fell into the leaves, their scent rising around me and tickling my nose. I loved this season.

I closed my eyes, feeling the leaves against my skin and the sun warming my face. There was a very faint rustle as Edward sat beside me. I could smell him there, his sweet scent mingling with the autumn musk.

I opened my eyes to see him hovering above me, his eyes as gold as any leaf, shining down at me like stars. I smiled as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, like the kiss of autumn – just enough to warm me from the inside.

"It's going to be like this forever," I murmured, and his eyes softened as he plucked a red leaf from my hair.

"It was always winter before you came along," Edward said, twirling the leaf's tiny stem between his fingers. "You brought so much color into my world…it's selfish, but I'm glad you'll be with me."

"I'm glad you're selfish," I replied, brushing my fingers through his hair as his head rested on my chest.


	14. Chapter 14

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_The Treehouse_

The trees flew by us as we ran, side by side, only one of us with the slightest clue where we were going. I'd ceased questioning him long ago – he was intent on showing me something, and I had no reason to resist now. I was a vampire, after all. Very little could do damage to me now.

He stopped abruptly and I ran ahead a few feet before I realized. Backpedaling, I looked to him questioningly.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going now?" I asked.

"No," he replied diffidently, "But I do need you to close your eyes now, else it will ruin the surprise."

I sighed and closed by eyes obediently. "Very well."

He slung me onto his back like he used to do when I was human, and the unfamiliar movement disoriented me. Once I'd secured my arms and legs around him, he took off running again, faster now – a mark of his impatience.

After a few brief seconds, he stopped again. "Now you can open your eyes."

I did open my eyes, and the sight that greeted them made me gasp in awe.

We stood before a very, very large, gnarled old tree with massive roots and branches that towered up out of sight – but that wasn't what shocked me. Winding up around the worn trunk was a wooden spiral staircase, which led up to the door of what was quite literally a tree house – as in, a house built in a tree. Complete with windows, doors, shutters, and a shingled roof – it was massive, at least three stories high, and I wouldn't be surprised if it had been fitted out with running water and electricity to boot.

Edward set me down, and I could now see his wide, boyish grin. "Do you like it?" he asked.

I swallowed. "Where on earth did this come from?"

"Well, Alice got the idea one day to build a treehouse…of course, Emmett and Jasper ended up doing most of the work. Alice thought it more important to keep order. And I was appointed the architect and engineer of the project."

I swallowed. "You designed this? …Never mind, of course you did. You would come up with something like this."

He laughed at my astonishment. "I pulled most of it out of Alice's head, honestly – she showed me exactly what she wanted. I just had to…work out the kinks."

"Work out the kinks, he says. Sure, no problem…just a little trigonometry here and there. When did you make this?"

"The sixties," he replied. "Alice was going through her hippie stage…wanted some place to sit around and sing cumbaya and all that. Thank heavens she's redecorated since – if it was still all lava lamps and bean bags, I think I'd have to set fire to the place."

"Can we go inside?" I asked eagerly, curious to see its inner workings. He smiled and led me up the stairs.

At the top, there was something like a porch outside the door, complete with a swing and a potted plant. Personally, I thought that was a bit superfluous – a plant for a house with a tree growing inside it.

"Go on in," Edward urged, nudging me toward the door. I opened it warily, half expecting woodland creatures to jump out at me. But as I stepped into the "living room" – interrupted only by the tree trunk – I realized it was as impeccable as any of the Cullens' houses. Clean, too. Edward must have tidied up before bringing me here.

"Good God," I muttered, taking it all in. There were couches, a TV – that would explain the satellite dish on the roof – an upright piano, packed bookshelves…

"Did you guys live here, or what?"

Edward grinned. "Alice did, for awhile, so of course, Jasper went with her. And the rest of us spent a lot of time up here."

"What's upstairs?" I asked, wandering to the staircase that wound upward around the trunk.

"On the second floor, a library. On the third, there are two bedrooms and a bathroom."

"A library? Why would you put a library in a treehouse?"

Edward grinned and shrugged. "Why not? Don't you want to see it?"

I rolled my eyes, starting up the stairs. "You know I do."

It was quite a library, too. Carpeted flooring, and a comfy circle of chairs and sofas for reading around the trunk. The room was literally lined, floor to ceiling, with shelves and books, except for one large window facing east. I loved it.

Edward watched me flit around the room with a smile. "You're pleased, I take it."

I grinned back over my shoulder. "Very."

I was intently browsing the titles, so it shocked me when his arms encircled me from behind. The feel of his lips at my ear made me shiver.

"Bet I could make you even more pleased," he said suggestively, running his hands up and down my sides.

"Oh, really?" I managed.

"Mmmhmm." He whirled me around and pressed me back against the shelf, hoisting me up to wrap my legs around his waist. My hips rocked eagerly against his.

"What do you think Alice would say if we literally screwed her treehouse to the ground?"

I was trying to answer that question when a loud shriek floated up from down below.

"DON'T YOU _DARE_, EDWARD CULLEN!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Monsters_

_Your teeth are black with wine as you place those lips on mine, the moon hangs heavy at forbidden high in the night of our lives. - Franz Ferdinand_

A drop of blood clung to her lips as she released her prey; I watched her lick it off absent-mindedly. Hunting was an old habit to her now, but I could remember clearly the first time, when she'd been unable to conceal her horror at what she'd done to the poor creature that had come across her path. Just another doe, but still, an unacceptable killing to her kind heart.

She caught my eye and frowned. "It still bothers you, doesn't it?" she said, keeping her distance, "Seeing me like this?"

"I'm getting used to it," I said. "It's just…remembering…"

She came over and took my hands in hers, smiling gently. "Maybe I'm a monster now, but I'd rather be a monster with you than a saint with anyone else. I'm getting used to it, too – I can get used to anything for you, Edward. Surely you know that by now."

I sighed and took her face in my hands – still, somehow, she seemed more delicate than the rest of us, more fragile. Her golden eyes shone up at me with the same uncanny perceptiveness she'd demonstrated as a human, and I couldn't help smiling back at her. Nothing would make a monster of my Bella. The core of her was unchangeable.

Our lips met gently. It was better for us both now – I could kiss her without restraint, and my lips were no pliable against hers. Bella sighed and drew her body closer to mine, and I smiled as her arms wound around my neck.

For her, I could handle being a monster, too.


	16. Chapter 16

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Jitters_

I took a deep breath, trying to get my stomach under control. It was way too late to run now; I was in too deep. Alice was right in front of me, ready to play Maid of Honor.

What was the big deal? I still didn't know why I was afraid – why that long carpet or that crowd of people meant anything. I could very easily make a fool of myself, but I was used to that. I'd worry about Edward leaving me at the altar, but I was the one everyone was concerned about.

It wasn't exactly that my parents didn't approve, or that half the town was convinced I was pregnant and the other believed I was marrying his money. They couldn't fathom what we had been through to get to this point, or how my entire soul was wrapped up in him. That was beyond their normal, human lives.

They _couldn't_ understand, and I didn't want to share this with them, I realized. Edward and I already belonged to each other…that bond shouldn't be cheapened with these people's petty thoughts.

But Edward wanted this. He could hear the thoughts, and he didn't care. I took another de breath.

For him.

* * *

_Wake Up Call_

There was something cold and wet on my inner thigh. I tried to shake it off, but for some reason, my legs wouldn't move. I reached down to swat it away, but suddenly my wrist was trapped, and the cold thing inched higher.

Groggily, I resigned myself to opening my eyes to find the source of the sensation. Looking down my body, I saw a very strange lump under the covers where nothing but my legs should be. And then I realized I was naked.

I panicked for a moment before I remembered where I was, and why. A smile spread across my face. This was the honeymoon suite at the finest hotel in Seattle, where Edward and I had _tried_…and succeeded.

"Oh!" I yelped as the cold, wet thing flicked deliciously against my clit. Tossing the blankets back, I found a delightfully naked Edward grinning back at me.

"Good morning, Mrs. Cullen. This is your 8:00 AM wake-up call," he said, mimicking the polite, professional tone of a hotel worker.

I grinned right back. A girl could get used to this.


	17. Chapter 17

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Damn the Luck_

"Ugh, I have the worst luck," I complained, irritated with the smirk Edward couldn't quite hold back.

"C'mon, Bella. It is a little funny."

"No, it is not!" I practically wailed, and my arm knocked into a nearby tree as I gestured, forming a crack in the trunk. A growl built up in my throat.

Edward stared for a moment and then burst out in laughter, the sound echoing in the forest. At one time, I would have enjoyed that laugh. But right now, I was in no mood.

"This is not okay!" I cried, putting my hands on my hips in the universal I'm-angry-and-you're-not-helping posture.

Edward wrapped his arms around me, still chuckling; I stiffened in his embrace.

"I think it's kind of cute," he said, ruffling my hair.

This time I did growl. "But I don't want to be cute. I was supposed to be powerful! I was supposed to have some really cool power! And instead, it turns out the trait I bring with me is my _clumsiness_?"

Edward laughed again, unfazed by my hysteria. "Hey, at least Aro won't be interested now."

* * *

_The Upper Hand_

"Bella? Damnit, Bella, where are you? …I really _hate_ your power."

I jumped from the tree branch I was perched on, tackling him to the ground. We rolled in the underbrush until I ended up with him pinned beneath me as I straddled him.

I grinned. "Which power is that? My power to irritate you beyond belief? Or the one where I can conceal myself completely?"

"Both," Edward growled, rolling us again. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"

I laughed, ignoring the tingle of arousal that zipped through me as he pinned my arms above my head. "Of course."

Edward smirked and pressed his body into mine. "I'll always have the upper hand, though," he murmured, bringing his lips close to my ear.

I ground my hips eagerly into his, groaning at the hardness that pressed into my center. "And why is that?" I asked breathlessly.

"Because," his lips hovered over mine, "You can't focus your power when you're too turned on to concentrate. And I'm the only one that turns you on that much."

My body squirmed impatiently against his. He was _so_ right.


	18. Chapter 18

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Yours_

Sometimes you feel like the hero in some paperback romance, when you're tangled up in her, when you're snugly inside her, when her legs are around your hips and her arms are around your shoulders, when her fingers and heels dig in, when she begs for more…

You love the feeling. Years of being a monster cannot be erased overnight, but when you pleasure her and she cries out your name, you feel human enough. You feel the ghost of your heart pounding and your lungs bursting with it. You feel triumphant and humbled all at once. You want to keep her like that forever – her lips moving around your name and her eyes glassy with desire.

And then she cuddles into you like she can't feel the cold and runs her warm foot up your calve. You don't know how this is possible, but you accept it. In this world, you are her hero – and whether she's heroin or heroine is inconsequential. She's yours.

* * *

_The Game_

The game goes like this: she is the innocent damsel in distress, and he is the villain out to steal her virtue. Never mind that his own virtue has always been in greater danger.

He stalks her around the street corner, into the dark alley. She is oblivious. In an instant, she is pressed to the brick wall by his body. He hitches her up so that she can feel his arousal against her core.

"Who are you?" she whispers, trembling.

He leans close, breathing in her scent. "I'm the bad guy."

She whimpers, and that spurs him to tear at her clothes and his own. Soon, her shirt is open and her bra is torn. Her nipples are well-teased. Her panties are shredded on the ground. His fly is open, and he is ready.

He thrusts into her as hard as he dares while she writhes in his arms. He's leaving bruises on her hips, but he suspects she likes that. And when she comes, she comes undone.

"Best one yet," she murmurs when they're dressed again.


	19. Chapter 19

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Simple_

She can't sleep afterward anymore, and she can't feel her blood pulsing. He can't rest his head over her breast and listen to her heartbeat slow into a relaxed, content cadence. She can't wake up to his smiling face.

Moreover, she's surprised by how much she doesn't miss those things. Making love to him now is blissful freedom, watching his face contort into a million expressions of agonized pleasure as he loses himself in her – without restraint, without thought. And lying in his arms afterward, as their breathing slows and time inches by, is more peaceful than any sleep.

This new life is pitifully easy when she's in his arms; that is where she belongs. Had she ever slipped away from him into death – she'd had so many opportunities – she would have haunted her Heathcliffe until his time on earth ended and he joined her beyond.

It is simple: when they are together, she lacks nothing; and when they are apart, she lacks everything.

* * *

_Clarity_

Time makes all sorts of things clear.

Another century, for instance, was finally enough to make Edward understand what really happened to him. It wasn't coincidence that Bella happened to have sixth period biology with him, nor was it coincidence that her scent was designed to lure him in. It wasn't coincidence that I went to Volterra to die, nor was it coincidence that she turned up to receive the Volturi's ultimatum. None of it was merely happenstance. A million decisions could have been changed, and still, they would have ended up here – two vampires wading through time together.

No, it was all carefully crafted fate, woven to bring her into his life, to reawaken all that had gone dark within his world. His shooting star became the sun he orbited, and in that, he finds absolution. Perhaps he cannot have the reward of heaven, but someone saw fit to reward him with her.

That makes all the difference.


	20. Chapter 20

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_A New Game_

This is a new game for you. You're not quite comfortable with it, but you won't refuse – not when you've barely touched her and you can already smell the arousal coming off her.

She does look good, spread out beneath you in the grass while you keep her arms pinned above her head, wrists together. Her eyes are wide with fear – fake fear. The moment she was really scared, you would stop without question. But for some reason, she likes this. She likes pretending she's terrified and doesn't want this while you rip open her clothing.

"Stop," she begs, "Please, stop." But her hips wriggle into yours while she pretends to struggle.

"No one can hear you scream," you remind her, playing the part as you unzip your pants with your free hand. "No one can stop me from doing whatever I like with you."

Her response is a whimper; her eyes are bright with excitement. You thrust into her with little fanfare, and as instructed, you do nothing to further her own pleasure – you're supposed to be using her. So instead you watch her every minute reaction – every twitch, every splash of color on her skin, every tremor.

"You want this," you taunt. "You're so wet for me."

"Yes!" she gasps, and that sets her off. She's tensing, clenching, crying out, and that's exactly what you needed to see to find your own release.

Finished, you release her and roll into the grass beside her.

"Good job," she approves, nuzzling your neck. "But you can be a little rougher next time, you know."

* * *

_The Deadliest Sin_

This is the definition of lust.

She would be horrified if she knew the things she did and said in her sleep, and she would be even more horrified if she knew how he reacted. But he couldn't help himself, couldn't stop from watching.

Bella would practically act out her dreams for him – moaning, writhing. Now and then her fingers would idly stroke the sheets; sometimes she would press her body forcefully into a pillow while murmuring his name. And the way her hips would move, squirming, practically begging…

The first time, he could only watch in perverse fascination. The second time, his arousal grew too painful to ignore. And now it was expected – he looked forward to these nights when he spent himself to the sound of her breathy cries of his name. It had become an addiction, a sin he couldn't shake.

And if he had any control in the matter, she would never, ever know.


	21. Chapter 21

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Forever_

"Don't stop," she pleads, twisting his hair between her fingers. Her undulating hips press closer, urging. He is glad, for once, for his inhumanness. He'll never have to stop to breathe; he can pleasure her like this for hours, days, weeks. He can keep her flushed and wanting all the time.

He never _wants_ to stop, never wants to leave the heat between her legs, never wants to stop feeling her wetness on his lips, never wants to stop tasting her desire for him, dripping onto his tongue.

"Edward…Edward!"

Yes, he'll gladly stay right here forever.

* * *

_The Succubus_

She has driven him to his breaking point, his undoing, his utter ruin. Such temptation, wrapped up in such an innocent package. He never knew she had this in her, never imagined that when he agreed to drop his boundaries and let her do as she wished that this would be the result.

But there she is, wrapping her small, unbearably hot hand around his cock as if there's nothing better she'd like in the world. He is breathless as she lowers her head and takes him into the scorching, wet heat of her mouth. It is so much more than he can bear.

Something inside him has broken down as she makes him feel things he never imagined. Thoughts of control, of morality, of immortal souls fly out the window. He will do anything, anything at all, if only she keeps doing that.

Forget the Denali sisters. Bella is the true succubus, and he is undeniably hers.


	22. Chapter 22

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Seamless_

It's as if there are no boundaries between them. They meld seamlessly where they are joined; her walls trap him so tightly that there is no chance of escape, and it would be unbearable for him to try to extricate himself. He is exactly where he should be, wrapped up in her.

The heat flows between them. Her body warms his skin, and he warms her from within, keeping the burning cycle going. The air is thick with their passion, scents and sounds mingling into the greatest symphony ever written.

He feels utterly complete, and as she cries his name out into the night, he wonders how he ever lived before this moment.

* * *

_Risk_

The risk excites her. She won't admit it, but still, he knows it is true. She enjoys being completely at his mercy, held immobile by his limitless strength, trapped under his rocking hips. She likes the blackness of his eyes and the danger they imply. Shivers of arousal overtake her when she feels his lips at her vulnerable jugular. He could bite down now and she wouldn't care.

But he doesn't; he never does. He unleashes himself just enough to make her pant, to make her wet, to make her cum.

But he will never fall far enough from his conscience that he would bruise her delicate wrists or drink from her pulsing veins. His restraint and his passion mingle, fueling one another.

And that makes the risk all the more pleasurable.


	23. Chapter 23

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

* * *

_Edward and Alice_

"I…don't know what that is." It took a lot to admit. Edward wasn't accustomed to not knowing things.

"You've never seen one of these before?"

"No." He paused. "Is this something I don't want to know about? Is it something dirty? It is, isn't it?"

"Not necessarily. It's a present for Bella. I think she'll like it."

Edward huffed. "Just stop hiding your thoughts. I'll find out eventually."

I shrugged and let him see exactly what Bella's gift was used for.

"Alice!"

"Bella shouldn't be punished just because you're a prude," I defended.

He turned and stomped up the stairs.

* * *

_Edward as a Pirate_

"Aye, avast!" I whirled around, startled at Edward's voice behind me. My eyes widened as I took him in, from boots to breeches to a half-opened white shirt…to the patch placed over his left eye.

"Um…Edward? Why are you a pirate?"

Edward shrugged. "Me bloody wench of a sister ordered my participation in her Halloween festivities on point of death."

I shook my head. "Please stop doing that."

"What, lass? I thought all fine ladies fancied pirates."

I laughed and plucked the eye-patch from his head. "I'm sorry, Edward, but there are some things only Johnny Depp can pull off."

* * *

_Edward as a Ghost_

The friendly Methodist church had always taught me that after death, I would find eternal peace and happiness in heaven. I reminded myself of this as I lay dying beside my mother in an overcrowded Chicago hospital, knowing my father was already gone.

When I slipped into the blackness, I knew the church was wrong. This was not heaven. Nothing awaited me but centuries of wandering the earth, unseen and alone.

Until the day a simple girl wandered into my Chicago home. She knew my name, spoke it aloud, and when I met her eyes, I knew she saw me.

* * *

_Indulgent_

_Indulge yourself for once_, Bella told me, not understanding. Vampires didn't have the luxury of indulgence. Indulgence was dangerous, something out of control, something violent.

Yes, we had our fast cars and fine clothing, but these were not true indulgences. They were props, the trappings of the charade we enacted every day that we denied our true nature. We wanted blood. I wanted blood, and until I met Bella, I didn't think I'd ever want anything more.

But Bella was a deeper, darker, more tempting indulgence, and the naïve girl couldn't see that my giving in would completely consume her.

* * *

_Angela_

The dice in her hand made her sad, somehow. Maybe it was all the potential outcomes, all the possibilities. While she was at home playing Monopoly on a Friday night, everyone else was embracing their possibilities. Bella was going to marry Edward in August. Jessica was moving to Los Angeles, of all places. Mike and Tyler were currently on a road trip to Tijuana. So why was she still in Forks, doing the expected? Why wasn't she backpacking across Europe or taking art classes in New York?

"Ang?"

She looked up. "Yeah, Ben?"

"You ever going to roll?"

She sighed.

* * *

_Riley_

_I miss you so much I can't breathe. Please don't say we're over._

He crumpled up that page and started anew.

_Look, I know we agreed it would be better to take some time, but I –_

No, that wouldn't do, either.

_I've made friends here in Seattle, but it's not enough. I feel so alone without you. Why did you choose New York over me?_

In the end, he crumpled that up, too, and headed through the rain, around the corner, to the hole-in-the-wall bar he'd come to know and love. He'd drown his sorrows, even if it killed him.

* * *

_DILF?_

"Hey, Edward?"

He was already watching Bella read her e-mails, so he didn't know why she didn't come out and ask what she wanted to know.

"Yes?"

"Do you know what a 'DILF' is?"

He nearly choked when she realized that, yes, she really wanted an answer to that question.

"Um, yes, I do…where did you come across this term?"

"Well, my mom was talking about meeting you and Alice and Carlisle last month, and she said Carlisle was a 'major DILF.' What does that mean?"

He buried his face in his hands. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

* * *

_Jasper_

The newborns were restless tonight, thanks to a band of settlers passing through the area, blissfully unaware that hoards of vampires were fighting over this very land – and for what? A few more of the sparse necks in the desert? But I had long since resigned myself to this existence.

Maria came to me while they fought amongst themselves, a snarling pack of beasts.

"Tomas has outlived his usefulness. You will take care of it?"

"Yes, ma'am." I always gave the same reply.

Hours later, after dark, I found Tomas's head rolled into the corner. Tonight, I had a reprieve.

* * *

_Edward, New Moon_

Zenith. The highest point in the celestial sphere, directly above the observer. Of course, that was an oversimplification. The world wasn't a perfect sphere. Sometimes the world wasn't this rock in space at all, but a young woman far away in a sleepy, rainy town. Sometimes the sky and stars and moon were completely irrelevant. For me, there was only night – endless, starless, moonless night, with no hope of reprieve from the sun. The sun stayed over the horizon line, on another continent, in another hemisphere.

But this was the way it was supposed to be. Vampires didn't deserve sunlight.

* * *

_Another Edward, New Moon_

This could be the end. The Volturi would punish him, if not for his stunt under the clocktower, then for revealing their kind to Bella, who stood very alive beside him. He couldn't even revel in the joy of that knowledge, not when she could very well be killed at this moment because of his actions.

Even still, facing the three vampires who controlled their destiny, the warm pressure of her arm around him and her hand on his side gave him a strange calm. He looked down at her anxious face, looking back at him. They would be okay.

* * *

_Jasper and the Muffin_

Edward was watching Bella. This wasn't anything new. Today, Jasper was watching Bella, too, or rather, watching her eat. Edward was being his usual adoring self, but Jasper couldn't take his eyes away from the weird blob of…cake Bella was taking bites out of.

"That has got to be the most disgusting thing I've ever seen."

Bella turned red as a – well, Jasper decided not to focus on that – and Edward shot him a dirty look.

"She's human; she has to eat," Edward huffed.

Bella's brow furrowed. "This is about my muffin?"

"Muffin?" Jasper repeated with distaste. "Sounds completely disgusting."

* * *

_Charlie and Little Bella_

"Dad, what's a heffelump?" Bella asked. Charlie glanced over at his four-year-old daughter, who had kept him watching the Winnie the Pooh movie over and over all morning long.

"I think it's supposed to be an elephant," he said.

"Oh." She turned her baby face on him, all frowns. "Why do they call it a heffelump?"

Charlie wasn't in the mood to explain such a thing to someone wearing footie pajamas, so he shrugged. "I don't know."

Bella clearly wasn't happy with that answer. "Well, find out."

At that moment, Charlie knew his daughter would grow to be a handful.


	24. Chapter 24

**Odds and Ends**

**These are just little ficlets and drabbles which don't merit posting individually, but which I'd like to share anyway.**

**I make no proprietary claim to **_**Twilight**_** or any of its characters. Just playing around.**

**This particular piece was written for my dear Jacyevans.**

* * *

_Teenage Dream_

"Do we have to go out?" I whined – yes, I knew I was whining. But Edward had this notion that we had to go out every weekend to do something or other. As much as I enjoyed going to movies and plays and museums and concerts with Edward, tonight, Charlie had to work. We could be all alone – on a bed, for once.

"You don't want to see the movie?" Edward said looking a little hurt. We were sitting on my couch, and Edward was looking at movie times in the Port Angeles newspaper.

"Sure, eventually...but don't you think there are better things we could do tonight?"

Edward frowned, all furrowed brows and pursed lips. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize there was something else you wanted to do. I should have asked rather than assume anything," he said, sounding alarmed at his own perceived inconsiderateness. "What would you like to do?"

"Stay in," I answered immediately.

"But...that's what we do every night."

I looked down at my hands. "Right. I guess you must be getting bored."

"Me?" He was genuinely surprised. "Not at all. But aren't you? I mean, you could do better than stay in with me all the time. A normal boyfriend -"

"Would what?" I interrupted. "Take me to the opera more often?"

"You're mocking me."

"More like gently teasing," I said while I scooted across the middle couch cushion. "Edward, I enjoy going out with you, of course. But I also love just being alone with you. And tonight, when the house is all ours, I want to go upstairs and make out like a couple of teenagers."

"Oh." I didn't miss the flicker of his eyes to my lips. "Well, I certainly won't object to that."

"Good," I grinned, then darted for the stairs. I must have taken him by surprise because he didn't catch me until I reached the banister. I let an unabashedly girly giggle as Edward ran us up the stairs and into my bedroom, all in the span of a second. We ended up in a seated position on the bed, Edward against the headboard, me straddled across his lap.

"Will this do?" Edward asked. His hands were very safely on my waist. I wound my arms around his neck and leaned in until our noses were touching.

"I think I can make it work," I whispered before I pressed my lips carefully to his. Careful, always careful. I'd learned my lesson about coming on too strong too fast with Edward. If we started slow, however, I could push just a little further – and I was all about pushing boundaries with Edward.

Tonight, it seemed, Edward was willing to be pushed. His right hand slid up my back, pulling me closer, and his left arm curled around my middle, holding me in his unbreakable grasp. I didn't try to break free; I went willingly, flattening myself wantonly against him. I wasn't too proud to admit how much I enjoyed pressing my breasts against his hard chest or how fantastic it felt rub against the seam of his jeans. I'd long since abandoned any sense of shame when it came to how much I wanted my beautiful, tense, old-fashioned, dead-sexy vampire. When he held me like this and didn't hesitate to return my kisses, I felt like he wanted me the same way.

I moved my kisses to his jaw, across his perfectly smooth skin. "This is exactly what I wanted," I said quietly against his ear. He let out a sigh, a happy one, sending sweetness drifting across my cheek, and I sought his lips again. It didn't matter that they were hard or that they were cold – my lips molded perfectly against and around them, and they were mine alone to kiss. They were sweet when I flicked my tongue against them, and they fluttered against mine when he moaned.

I shifted against him, feeling hot and restless. Something dug uncomfortably into my thigh while I tried to keep kissing him, and I moved again, trying to get comfortable. The hard thing got harder, and I froze in sudden understanding. My eyes flew open and met his, which were wide and waiting for my reaction.

I thought quickly. Edward had yet to tell me to stop, so maybe this wasn't too much for him. Maybe I could take this further. And I wanted to take this further, because having tangible proof of his desire for me was too good to waste. He wouldn't have sex with me – I knew that without asking – but I'd also been in high school long enough to know that there were other possibilities.

Before he could panic, before he could lift me up and deposit me on the other side of the bed and out of harm's way, I kissed him. I took his face in my hands and kissed him as fiercely as I could, and while I had him disarmed, I ground myself roughly on his erection.

"Bella," he mumbled, trying to gently extract himself from my clutches, even as a wave of pleasure swelled outward from my sex.

"No," I breathed, rocking against him again. _Ohhh._ "Let me, please."

"It's dangerous," he said, but his mouth was still against mine, and his arms were still around me.

"Don't make me beg," I sighed, looking into his pained and smoldering eyes. "Please, Edward. All you have to do is stay still."

Edward let out a little moan, and I knew he'd surrendered. Shamelessly, I shifted myself back into place against him and writhed. Oh, God, it was so good. My body was filling with bone-melting heat, heat that increased as Edward watched me through lidded eyes. His mouth hung open; I tugged at his bottom lip with my teeth. On and on and on, I burned adrenaline and desire with each twist of my hips.

At some point, Edward abandoned resistance and threw his head back, cracking my bed in the process. The sight of him watching me, all tense and wild, sent me to the brink. I braced myself against his shoulders as wave after wave of heat swept over me – until it suddenly caught ablaze, a rapid inferno, burning every last inch of me.

"Oh God," I heard Edward say, and weak and trembling, still rocking absently, I forced myself to focus on his face. He closed his eyes, and his jaw went tense, tense, tenser – like a guitar string being wound beyond its capacity. Then he snapped, as quietly as one of those guitar strings, with only the slightest movement beneath me, and a strangled noise escaped from his lips.

Everything went very still. I grinned, first hesitantly, then fiendishly. I'd successfully done something very naughty with Edward, and it seemed I wasn't the only one who had gotten off on it.

"You're looking awfully pleased with yourself for someone who just nearly got herself killed," Edward muttered, eyes slitting open.

I just shook my head. "Nuh-uh. You're not going to scold me out of enjoying this."

He laughed shakily, and the tender look he gave me told me I was forgiven. "Maybe we could talk it out beforehand next time you want to do something completely insane."

"I don't know. Talking beforehand usually leads to you putting your foot down and us going absolutely nowhere. I think it's time you admit that it's good for me to be in charge now and then."

"I'll consider it," he said dryly, but he kissed me softly on the lips. "So. The making out like teenagers lasted about ten minutes. What will we do for the rest of the night?"

I rubbed my nose against his. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

* * *

**For those wondering, here is a progress report of what I'm working on, as of January 24, 2011:**

**Madman's Mercy - next chapter is two-thirds of the way done.**

**Bonne Foi - four pages into the next chapter**

**Anatomy of a Human - begun, but minimal progress.**

**I'm also working hard on very, very late FGB pieces, which for now are taking precedent as much as possible.**

**Thank you, everyone who is sticking with me for some reason. I know the delays suck, and I would be getting annoyed with me, too.**


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